PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Carlinville Cavaliers

Louie Korac, For The Telegraph

Published
9:00 am CDT, Friday, August 28, 2015

Carrollton’s Jayce Arnett (left) is wrapped up by Carlinville’s Seth Egelhoff after Arnett’s catch during 7-on-7 competition involving multiple area schools this summer at the Snyders Sports Complex in Jerseyville. Carlinville opens its season at Roxana Friday, Aug. 28, while Carrollton opens at Brown County less

Carrollton’s Jayce Arnett (left) is wrapped up by Carlinville’s Seth Egelhoff after Arnett’s catch during 7-on-7 competition involving multiple area schools this summer at the Snyders Sports Complex in ... more

Photo: James B. Ritter | For The Telegraph

Photo: James B. Ritter | For The Telegraph

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Carrollton’s Jayce Arnett (left) is wrapped up by Carlinville’s Seth Egelhoff after Arnett’s catch during 7-on-7 competition involving multiple area schools this summer at the Snyders Sports Complex in Jerseyville. Carlinville opens its season at Roxana Friday, Aug. 28, while Carrollton opens at Brown County less

Carrollton’s Jayce Arnett (left) is wrapped up by Carlinville’s Seth Egelhoff after Arnett’s catch during 7-on-7 competition involving multiple area schools this summer at the Snyders Sports Complex in ... more

Photo: James B. Ritter | For The Telegraph

PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Carlinville Cavaliers

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CARLINVILLE — Chad Easterday’s run as Carlinville football coach has been unblemished.

Unblemished in terms of postseason appearances, which is a perfect 7-for-7 in Easterday’s tenure and a 51-23 overall record.

So when all the talk about replacing players and who fills the voids left by those key players that departed for college becomes a topic of discussion, in the sense of the 2015 Cavaliers, it’s a case of reloading rather than rebuilding. And it will be a goal of trying to qualify for the playoffs, a feat accomplished in 14 of the past 15 seasons.

“I think (making the playoffs) is always our goal,” said Easterday, whose 2014 Cavaliers finished 9-2 and in second place behind Greenville in the South Central Conference. “… I think we’re in a reload situation. Maybe we haven’t been held to the fire quite as traditionally as we have been before, but I think it’s one of those situations where it’s reload. We may have to go through some bumps and bruises to see that, but we’re excited about it, that’s for sure.”

The top replacements won’t come easy. Four-year starting quarterback Joeb Easterday, who leaves a void of 1,844 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns to go with 321 rushing yards and four rushing TDs. And then there’s running back Kinney Myles, who rushed for 1,506 yards and a school-record 27 TDs and 1,611 all-purpose yards.

“You don’t lose those types of kids without fear of maybe replacing them, but we have some kids that had some great JV seasons and a few running backs that were second-fiddle just because Kinney was our No. 1 last year,” coach Easterday said.

Jumping in under center will be 6-foot-1, 165-pound junior Adam Walton, who saw limited action a season ago, completing 11 of 15 passes for 105 yards with one touchdown.

“Adam has been a kid that was mentored by Joeb and has gone through the program, had a great JV season,” Easterday said. “I think that’ll be a smooth transition and we haven’t had any bumps in the road here in the preseason.”

Replacing Myles will be more of a rush attack by committee.

“I think we’re going to be the same as we were probably four years ago,” Easterday said. “We could be a tailback by committee. We may not have an 1,800-yard rusher or a 2,000-yard rusher.

The one with the most experience is junior Jacob Dixon (6-0, 170), who ran for 277 yards a season ago with nine touchdowns. Also in the mix will be junior Brady Egelhoff (6-0, 170), junior Dylan Chism (5-8, 160) and senior Mitchell Bolomey (5-11, 160).

“All have seen some considerable amount of time in the backfield,” Easterday said.

Defensively, Easterday said it will be the biggest challenge heading into Friday’s opener, a 7 p.m. game at Roxana.

“That was one of our biggest hits last year,” Easterday said. “We graduated quite a few seniors from there. We bring back two middle linebackers, Chism and Matt Bolomey (5-9, 180).”

For Carlinville, once the season starts, it’s no warm-up type games. The SCC hits the ground running from the opening kickoff and it’s a race to the finish with 10 teams.

“I personally like it, but I think as a coaching staff, you have to realize that when you do that and you have a schedule like we do, it’s hard,” Easterday said. “Our No. 1 goal is to always be in the postseason, and our second goal is to always be in the top third of that conference because you don’t know how that’s going to go. Every conference game matters. You don’t get warm-up games anymore.”